The Pending Job
by EKSimmons
Summary: A celebratory visit to his sister's brings Eliot a box full of trouble. The "happy" family is splitting at the seams. One secret threatens to destroy them, leading the team to embark on a con involving billion dollar companies, a marketing firm and patents. (Next in the Spencer Family Saga- see Family Job; Low, Low Price Expanded Ending Job; and The History Job.)
1. Chapter 1

**The Pending Job**

***Continuing the Spencer Family Saga (The Family Job; The Low, Low Price Job Extended Ending; The History Job)**

"Dillon… can you give me a hand?" Jesse called as she released the knob on the oven. "Dillon?"

No response came. She sighed and began reaching up to the top shelf of the cabinets. The couple extra inches she found herself now carrying around the middle rubbed against the counter. Her fingertips fell short of the bowl she desired.

A knock at the door interrupted her. She shook her head and proceeded toward the door. A quick glance through the peephole gave her a smile. After a turn of the knob, she pulled the door open.

"Well… LOOK who's here," she teased.

Eliot grinned back at her. "Hi… and hello you…" He rubbed his hand in front of her tummy.

"Is it kicking yet?" Parker interjected. Hardison stood next to her and waved.

"No, a little too early for that yet, Parker," Jesse replied. "Come in, come in." She stepped back to allow them entrance.

Eliot led them in, glancing around the room. "Nate and Sophie had to wrap up something so they'll be along later."

"I'm glad to hear you all dropped by… now I know it won't be too much food," Jesse laughed. She leaned back to yell to the living room behind her. "Dillon… Uncle Eliot is here. Parker and Hardison are too."

A faint sound of music and electronic beeps was the only sound to return.

"Guess he didn't hear me…" she sighed. "Well, Flynn had to go in for a few hours but make yourselves at home. I was working on supper." She pivoted on one foot and proceeded back to the kitchen.

Eliot watched her for a moment, taking note of her lack of footwear, before following.

"Barefoot in the kitchen… brave choice," he chuckled.

"Well, the little one here seems to have an issue with shoes… kills my feet and back to wear anything for too long," she replied.

"What about…" Eliot began.

"The blackouts? Fewer and fewer thankfully. It's been a year and a half since Brixton. I've managed them. And this little one doesn't seem to be hurting it," she answered as she returned to her previous task of reaching for a bowl.

"Here, I got it," Eliot scooted her aside and pushed up on his toes to grab the bowl.

"Thanks… I seem to be a little hampered in my reach," she giggled.

He set the bowl down on the counter and proceeded to the sink to wash his hands.

"What do you think you're doing?" she pouted.

"You don't think I'm letting you do all this alone, do you?"

"You're gonna risk that shirt?" Her brow rose looking at the clearly new purchased button down shirt he rolled up.

"Hey, give me an apron; I'm not that way…"

"Bottom drawer, next to the fridge," she answered. He went to retrieve one as she returned to her bowl.

"I'm kinda wanting a bathroom… wasn't using that one at the rental place," Hardison swallowed as he and Parker stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Down the hall to the left," Jesse instructed.

"Thank you," Hardison nodded and disappeared. Parker rolled her head and followed him out of the room.

Jesse breathed a moment. "Dillon! Could you come here a moment?"

Eliot sighed heavily as he finished tying the apron. "Okay, this is out of hand." He made his way into the living room.

Dillon sat on the couch playing a handheld video game. Earbuds sat firmly planted in his ears, the volume up high enough for Eliot to hear the music. Eliot reached his fingers out and yanked the cord, pulling the earbuds clean out of the ears.

"Hey!" Dillon cried.

"Your mother has been calling you… it's rude to not respond," Eliot growled.

"She ALWAYS calls me to do all kinds of stuff…"

"You ever TRY and… I don't know… DO any of it? You may have noticed she could use a little more help than normal. I seem to remember you promising me you were gonna be a good kid so I wouldn't have to straighten you out."

"I'm going… I'm going." Dillon threw his stuff onto the cushion next to him and trudged off to the kitchen. Eliot shook his head and followed.

"What?" Dillon muttered as he came to a stop in the kitchen doorway.

"Would you be a dear and check the mail? Or I can get the mail and you could put the salad together," Jesse offered.

"Okay," Dillon groaned as he turned and disappeared out the front door.

"What is with him?" Eliot growled.

"He started acting like this about two months ago…" Jesse sighed. "His grades are still good, but his attitude has been very distant and rude. I've been watching for drugs but don't see anything."

"Two months ago?" Eliot pursed his lips. "Is that about the time you told him about the new baby?"

Jesse frowned, "Come to think of it, yeah."

"Somebody isn't overjoyed to be a big brother, huh? I'll have a chat with him later."

"You… you're going to have a 'chat' with my son?" Jesse laughed.

"I know what it's like to be the big brother. Might be able to get through to him… let him know it's okay to be a little upset and let him know what he has to look forward to…"

"Like dumping beetles into the cereal, pushing 'em down in the mud, and hanging toys from the ceiling fan?" Jesse smirked.

"Yeah…" Eliot laughed. "I was good _sometimes_."

"The fact that I'm here breathing is proof of that," she smiled and pat his arm before heading to the fridge.

Eliot continued smiling to himself as he surveyed the counters. A stack of pork chops on the end of the island beckoned and he stepped toward them. "What are the plans for these?"

Jesse turned to see what he referred to before responding. "There's a rub on the top shelf of the cupboard next to the breakfast nook over there." She pointed to the corner opposite the doorway. A small table with a bench to either side was tucked into the corner with a couple of cabinets running along the wall toward the refrigerator. Eliot headed for the furthest cabinet.

"Need anything?" Hardison's voice carried in from the living room.

"No, we're good," Eliot called back.

"There is plenty to do if they want to help," Jesse replied.

"You do NOT want Hardison in the kitchen, believe me," Eliot countered. Jesse laughed.

Dillon entered silently, threw the mail on the edge of the island and proceeded to return to his game in the living room.

"Thank you, honey," Jesse called after him. She started to gather the envelopes that had slid across the surface. One caught her eye. The upper left hand corner bore the name and seal of Flynn's company – Raleigh Imagine Marketing and Consulting.

"Something wrong?" Eliot asked as he returned to the island with the rub in his hands.

"No, I think this might be Flynn's bonus… been waiting for it." She ripped the envelope and removed the letter inside. The piece of paper unfolded in her hands. As she read it, her face paled.

"Not a check…" Eliot noted as he watched her.

Jesse dropped the letter, grabbed the phone receiver from the wall next to the outer door and began dialing.

"_Raleigh Imagine Marketing and Consulting - Rebecca speaking, how may I direct your call?"_ the voice on the end of the line answered.

"Flynn Carter's office, please," Jesse barked.

"_I'm sorry, ma'am, Mr. Carter is no longer employed at our company. If you can give me your account name, I can forward you to your new account manager,"_ the woman offered.

"What do you mean? When was this?!" Jesse demanded.

"_Mr. Carter has been gone for about two weeks, ma'am. May I redirect you to another associate?"_

"No," Jesse sniped as she disconnected the call. Her eyes were filled with tears, her face reddened and her bottom lip began to quiver.

Eliot could hear her breathing grow shorter and sharper. "Jesse?" he queried.

She huffed and threw the phone against the wall. "Damn him!" Her rant continued, the curses rising and falling in volume. Her whole body was shaking; the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Parker and Hardison heard her in the living room. They stared at each other a moment. Parker sucked in the side of her bottom lip; while Hardison let his eyes grow wide. Both glanced at Dillon who sat completely oblivious, enveloped in his game and drowned in the volume of his earbuds.

The ranting began to scare Eliot. He could see Jesse's face begin to sweat.

"Jesse… breathe… calm down… breathe…" he insisted as he came around toward her. He held his right hand out around her left bicep, his left hand hovering just in front of her right arm.

"He lied to me, Eliot! He LIED! Damn him! That… that…" she lost her words and began to sway just slightly. Eliot threw his hands in to catch her as her eyes rolled back momentarily and her knees gave way.

"THAT'S what I was afraid of…" he sighed. Her eyes came back forward, but her knees still shook. Eliot maneuvered around behind her, and wrapped his right arm around her lower back. He ushered her over to the nook. His foot kicked the table aside as he let her down gently on the bench.

Jesse muttered incoherently for a moment, her tears still streaming. "El'et," her slurred mangle of his name made him sigh.

"You know the blackouts increase in frequency when you're emotionally strained," Eliot shook his head as he sat next to her, allowing her head to rest against his right arm. He gently stroked the hair from her eyes with his left hand. They sat like that for several minutes as her awareness returned.

Once she was back to her senses, she sniffled, "He lied to me, Eliot. Why are they always lying to me? You were right… I went right back to a Chattum. What is wrong with me? What is it about me?"

Eliot pinned her chin between his left thumb and index finger, lifting her face to look at him. "Hey, there is nothing wrong with you. We're the ones that are wrong. I don't know what's going on here, but I wouldn't call Flynn a Chattum just yet. We'll figure this out."

"I'm so scared, Eliot. I… what if this all goes south? I don't think I can start over again. The blackouts… Dillon… and now the baby… how can I do all of that alone? I can't… I just… I can't…"

"You're not alone. I'm here… whatever happens. We'll get through it. I know you're scared. You've got two lives to watch out for… and Brixton's little remembrance blackouts don't help. I've known you your whole life, Jesse. You can do this - whatever comes. I know you can, with or without me, but I promise you… I'm here."

Her eyes stared at him a moment before rolling to the floor. She swallowed and sniffed. A small nod of her head and a deep breath came before she attempted to speak again.

"I'm sorry," she rubbed her arm across her face, "I don't know why I'm such a mess."

"Hormones…" Eliot spat before thinking better of it.

Jesse laughed, "You're right." She began to wipe the tears off her cheeks.

"Let's get you cleaned up and get this food taken care of before something else happens." Eliot stood and held out his hand to pull her up on her feet. She took his hand and rose.

* * *

The front door opened a few minutes later. Flynn entered, noticing the receiver on the floor - the battery hanging loose out the back. He scooped it up and continued into the living room, pressing the battery back into place.

"Hi everyone… I managed to talk them into letting me out a little early so I wouldn't miss too much," he grinned.

Parker narrowed her eyes and pursed her face. Hardison stared at him wide eyed.

"Did I miss something? Is something wrong? Did someone get hurt?" Flynn panicked.

"Or someone's about to…" Hardison replied rolling his eyes toward the kitchen.

Flynn glanced over his shoulder as he put down his briefcase. He turned and walked into the kitchen.

Jesse and Eliot both went silent as Flynn entered.

"What's going on?" Flynn asked as he replaced the receiver on the wall, passing into the kitchen.

"That's what _I'd_ like to know," Jesse sniped. Eliot nodded at her and began walking toward the living room. He paused a moment next to Flynn.

"Hurt her, and they won't find you," he growled. Flynn swallowed as Eliot glanced back toward Jesse. "Remember, breathe, I'm right in there if you need me." Eliot disappeared.

"What's going on?" Flynn repeated.

Jesse grabbed the letter and threw it on the corner of the island in front of him.

"You've been lying to me. You haven't worked at RIMC in two weeks and they're sending cease and desist letters. What the hell is going on?" She stared at him expectantly.

Flynn bowed his head and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you. I hoped I could get it straightened out but it looks like they figured it out."

"Figured WHAT out?" Jesse demanded.

"All this time, I've been going to the library, the colleges… anywhere with a computer bank. I've been trying to access the servers and get evidence to clear myself…"

"Clear yourself? What the hell is going on?!"

"They fired me. They framed me…" Flynn twitched his lip. "I caught a coworker selling plans to some of our client's products, but when I brought it up to the supervisor, they fired me. They threatened to frame me for it if I fought the firing. I can't have that on my record. I'd never be able to go near another office, not to mention the possibility of real jail time. I thought if I could get the evidence to prove I didn't do it, I could get back in."

"Why didn't you tell ME?"

"I didn't want to add to your stress. I know it's been a lot to deal with between what happened in Oklahoma, the engagement, the baby, your blackouts… I didn't want to worry you until I had an answer for it," Flynn sighed.

"And THIS worked out SO much better? What were you going to do when the rent check bounced? I can't support all of us in this place by myself. You should have told me. We're in this together… you understand that? I've been open with you, Flynn. Everything is out there… my family, my ex-husband, the abuse, the lies… everything. You KNOW all of that and you know how much I need trust. How can I trust you now?"

"I can't fix what I've done… all I can say is I did it with the best of intentions. Maybe it turned out wrong… and for that I'm sorry. I know that doesn't begin to correct it, or restore your faith in me, but it's all I can offer you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Flynn stared at the floor in defeat.

Jesse closed her eyes and swallowed. "So for argument's sake, say you're being honest now. What about getting your job back?"

"I couldn't get what I needed. If the supervisor is in on it, he can change whatever paperwork he wants to frame me. And that letter proves they know I've been snooping. I don't know what to do anymore."

"Ahem…" the throat clearing echo from the doorway drew their attention. Eliot stood front and center, Parker behind his right shoulder grinning and Hardison over the left shoulder.

"You DO know this is what we do, right?" Hardison interrupted.

"No, I can't get any more people involved. Who knows what might happen," Flynn declined.

"They took your job and threatened your livelihood, your family's livelihood… MY family's livelihood. That's all we need to know," Eliot rumbled.

"But…" Flynn argued.

"Do you want this fixed, or don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"Then let us help. Hardison's right, THIS is what we do. We'll fix it." Eliot nodded his head ever so slightly to reassure Flynn.


	2. Chapter 2

"Didn't your sister invite us to dinner? I know I was pretty focused on that job in Bethesda, but I'm sure I don't remember anyone mentioning another job as well," Nate twisted his lip.

"Yeah," Eliot answered as he looked at the floor. The team sat around Flynn and Jesse's living room once Nate and Sophie arrived. Dillon had disappeared to his room for breathing space, while Jesse and Flynn took time to continue their own discussion in the kitchen. Sophie, Parker and Hardison, with his laptop, sat on the couch between the two men. Nate stood off of Sophie's right side nearest the door. Eliot sat in a chair off Hardison's left, slouched down.

Nate nodded. "So now we're helping your… essentially brother-in-law out of a jam."

"I know, Nate, but this is family. I have to help them. I'm asking you..."

"You don't have to ask, man," Hardison interrupted. "But you don't have any other family members out there we don't know about that will need help, do you?"

"We've got your back," Parker added. Sophie smiled and nodded in agreement.

"No, we'll do it," Nate answered. "I wanted to make sure you knew why you were."

"Thank you," Eliot swallowed.

Nate rubbed his hands together and swung them down to his sides. "So, what do we know?"

"I started looking up some stuff while we waited for you, but can't hurt to ask Flynn for more details before we get too far," Hardison explained.

"Then let's do that," Nate stepped over to the kitchen entry. "We could use you in here when you're ready," he called in and returned to the group.

Jesse and Flynn exited the kitchen silently. Flynn took a stance next to Nate, trying to shrink as small as possible. She maneuvered across the room to Eliot.

He stood up and whispered aside to her. "You okay?"

"I'll let you know," she muttered as she took his seat. He sat on the arm of the chair.

"Read us in…" Nate encouraged.

"What?" Flynn frowned.

Nate ran his tongue along the backside of his upper lip. "It means catch us up. Where do you work, what happened… that type of thing."

Flynn rolled his head side to side slowly. "Oooookay…"

"Just take your time with it. The more we know, the better we can prepare a plan."

"Um… I work for Raleigh Imagine Marketing and Consulting. I'm a marketing researcher."

"What type of marketing exactly?"

"The company handles all different types and steps but my focus is on product testing. I research whether a product is marketable, if the demand for the product is great enough for production."

"How is the company set up?"

"Different departments handle different aspects. My department is product testing while other departments handle sales to companies, marketing such as packaging, advertising… Each department is broken into teams with two teams per supervisor. The teams handle their own clients, independent of each other."

"Okay, so the supervisor is the only one who connects the teams and clients…"

"Right."

"So what happened?"

Flynn sighed, "About two weeks ago I was at the office late, crunching some final numbers for a client conference call. When I left my office, I heard Tate talking in his office."

"Tate?"

"Tate Owens, he's one of the other researchers on my team. I thought I'd offer to give him a hand, but when I approached, I overheard him discussing prices on a product we weren't handling. I stopped outside his door and listened. He was selling something. I snuck back to my office and looked up the product he was talking about. It was one of our other team's products. He was selling a client's product to a competitor. I couldn't believe it. It was a long night of no sleep but I went to my supervisor Mike Donnell the next morning. I told him everything. He told me not to worry myself and he would handle it. Later that day I received a note to come to his office. He fired me. He said not to fight the termination or he would have me brought up on charges in regards to the sale of confidential information. He had record of my inquiry about the product. I followed chain of command and I'm the one who was thrown out."

"He's in on it and when he found the log of you checking the product, he had a perfect scapegoat. Get rid of the witness and by blackmailing you into silence, he doesn't have to hide his own involvement," Nate explained.

"What can you do? If they're ready to lay it all on me…"

"Hardison…" Nate blurted.

Hardison smiled. "I did a little digging before you got here. I found about thirty products in the last 5 years that were marketed through RIMC that had similar products appear on shelves within a few weeks."

"That's all circumstantial though…" Flynn sighed.

"It is pretty coincidental, but it gives us a good base to start. Competitors get products as soon as they can, but it typically takes longer than a couple weeks to copy and mass produce a product. Pretty good indication that they were tipped off," Hardison added.

"Aren't these products patented?" Sophie asked.

"Patent pending…" Flynn answered.

"So how is that…" Sophie began.

"Patent protection doesn't take effect until the patent has been issued. When you apply for a patent, it becomes pending. It typically takes two to three years for a patent to be issued. During that time, competitors can sell similar products without issue," Nate explained.

"And the shelf life of most of these products is about that long. By the time the patent is issued, the hype is gone and the sales slow. So by the time a product is protected, competitors have already made tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars," Flynn added.

"Pretty lucrative arrangement," Hardison twisted his lip with a nod.

"It's the perfect position to arrange it. Marketing allows him to see what products will sell well while they are still early in production. He sells the plans to a competitor who can make a knockoff earlier and bring in more cash," Nate contemplated the story.

"Tens of millions… that's a pay day someone isn't going to want to lose," Eliot muttered.

"No, they won't… which means he won't give up the arrangement too easily either. My guess is he'll lay low for a while, until he can decide whether you'll stick to the silence or not… but he will resume sales," Nate looked at Flynn as he continued.

"So what can you possibly do? He's waiting around to pin this on me if I don't let it go. Maybe I should just leave it," Flynn sighed.

"We can work with this…" Nate took a breath.

"No, I don't want to see it get worse," Flynn cried as he hung his head.

"Flynn," Jesse snapped. He rolled his eyes up to look at her. "You've already shown them you won't stay quiet. Let them handle this. They know what they're doing. I've been there, I've seen it. Trust them."

"She's right. You've already gone too far to turn back. They'll deal with you in one way or another. We can handle this," Eliot concurred.

"Okay… I hope I don't regret this," Flynn agreed.

"Where do we start, Nate?" Hardison grinned.

"Cut off the tail…" Nate smirked.

"The what?" Flynn's jaw dropped.

"The tail, the tail end of this monster… Tails are often used for balance. Cut off the tail…" Nate began.

"Watch them lose their balance…" Hardison finished. "I like it."

"We need to sever the connection between Donnell and his buyer. That will make him vulnerable and off balance," Nate continued.

"But you and Eliot just said neither one would give up that connection easily… so how do we make them do it?" Parker interjected.

"We're not going to sever it… the buyer is going to do it," Nate smiled.

"Why would they do that?" Flynn frowned, completely confused.

"Because we're going to make sure Donnell sells them what they aren't paying for," Nate added. "Hardison…"

"Already on it…" Hardison replied as he typed away on the keys. "One mega-million selling piece of junk coming right up."

"Oooo… that one looks nice," Parker cooed as she poked at the laptop screen.

"No, Parker… just… no," Hardison shook his head with a shudder.

"Fine," Parker scowled and leaned back.

Hardison typed a few more keys before his face lit up. "Bingo… this is it. Small one man shop in Miami just started selling these to his neighbors." He spun the laptop around for Nate to see.

"Perfect, Parker, go fetch one. The rest of you, let's go steal some marketing." Nate gave Sophie a sidelong glance as he realized he couldn't leave the room dramatically without an awkward reentrance. Parker smiled at the request to pilfer.

Jesse stood up and walked to the kitchen. Flynn began to lift his arm as she passed. He opened his mouth to speak but she turned away as she hurried past.

Eliot strode up to Flynn pausing only a moment. "Should have told her," he breathed.

Flynn nodded silently. Eliot turned and made his way down the hall.

* * *

Dillon lay on his bed lobbing a baseball over and over into the air. His earbuds jammed in his ears. Eliot could hear the music as he approached and knocked on the open door. The movement caught Dillon's peripheral and he pulled the earbuds out, turning off the player.

"What does she want me to do now?" Dillon sighed.

"No, your mom didn't call. I think you and I need to talk," Eliot replied as he entered.

"A talk? I don't need that, thanks, school covered it," Dillon wrinkled his nose.

"Not about that," Eliot furrowed his brow. "I'm talking about your attitude lately. I know why it started, and I think we need to discuss it."

Dillon looked away and twitched his lips.

"Hey, I get it, I'm a big brother too," Eliot sat on the side of the bed. "It's okay to be a little upset. It is going to change some things. You'll have to learn to share, you'll have some more responsibilities, and you'll have to deal with the annoying parts but it has its benefits too. Having someone who understands you and who can share things with you that nobody else can… it makes it worth it."

"That's not it," Dillon swallowed. "I'm not upset because I have to share or even having to listen to crying or changing diapers or whatever."

"You're not upset about the baby?" Eliot frowned.

"Not exactly…" Dillon sighed. "It's hard to explain."

"Try anyway."

"I have to be a role model as the big brother, right? I have to be someone to look up to, someone who they can turn to?"

"Kind of comes with the job, yeah."

"But what if I'm not good enough? What if I hold him back because he tries to live up to me instead of being better? What if I can't defend him? I'm not strong like you are. What if I can't protect him? That would make me a bad brother…"

"He or SHE," Eliot reminded.

"SEE! I can't even remember that…" Dillon cried.

Eliot smiled, "It's okay. You don't know what it is yet, and it is easy to just slide a pronoun in for now. That doesn't make you a bad person. Dillon, you're the best kid I know… when you aren't acting out. You are the LAST person in the world who has to worry about being a bad example. That kid couldn't ask for a better role model."

"But, what about the rest? I'm not strong like you. I'm more creative…" Dillon moaned.

"Not strong? Dillon, you've been through more in your life than most adults. You've been through a kidnapping, domestic abuse, shot at, chased… and you're still able to keep a view of the world that isn't hardened. Do you have ANY idea what kind of strength that takes? I couldn't do it, but you did," Eliot poked his finger at Dillon as he spoke.

"I don't believe you. You'd be able to do it. You can do anything."

"No," Eliot frowned. "I've been there, and I failed miserably. I hardened to people and the world for a long time. Nate and the team… they managed to break that and let me come back. Your ability to separate all the bad stuff that has happened from the rest of the world around you… that is a true strength. All the strength you think I have, I would trade in a minute for the one you have."

"Really?"

"In a heartbeat."

"How does it help me to defend my little brother or sister?"

"You're not afraid to do what is right. More often than not, any defense that kid is gonna need won't be physical but mental or emotional. Words and actions are more likely to help you than fighting. You have the strength to say the truth, what needs to be said. Believe me, the fact that you were THIS concerned about all of this now, proves you'll be the best big brother that kid could ever hope for."

"Even better than you?" Dillon smirked.

"That isn't too hard. I have a lot of regrets in my life… but the kind of brother I've been is near the top. I let your mom down for a long a time. I don't plan to do that ever again." Eliot sighed, his eyes misting.

"It's never too late to make it right… right?" Dillon offered. Eliot laughed and lightly punched Dillon's arm.

"You're going to make a great big brother."

"Thanks."

"So out of curiosity, why, if you were so concerned about being a good enough example, would you decide to act out?"

"I thought if I was a bad kid, nobody would expect me to set the example. That they would encourage the kid to find a better example."

"There is no better example. You need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself and just be you. You're still a kid. Nobody expects you to be perfect, but they do expect you to do your best."

"Thanks, Uncle Eliot. I'm sorry I've been such a brat."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to…"

"Yeah… I should go do that."

"I would give it a little time. Your mom has some bigger worries right now."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You wanna help?" Eliot smiled.

"Yeah."

"What you can do… is help your mom out. This is a pretty stressful time for everyone right now and the last thing she needs is to be worried and tense at home. Think you can handle that?"

Dillon smiled, "Yeah, I can handle that."

"Good… that's what I want to hear. I'm gonna go see about helping resolve this little issue. You can start helping out by picking up this mess. Seriously, how do you find anything in here?" Eliot looked around the room covered in toys, clothes, electronics and dishes.

"I have a system…"

"You need a new one." Eliot stood up and shook his head as he exited.


	3. Chapter 3

Nate sat in the lobby of RIMC with his briefcase. A pair of thick, dark horn-rimmed glasses rested on his nose, his suit was snug and almost too short. A large box sat on the floor in front of him. The box reached up to his knees. He tapped his foot as he watched the clock on the wall restlessly. The team waited in a rented van down the block. Hardison was on his computer, Parker on his right, Flynn next to her. Eliot stood behind Parker while Sophie watched over Hardison's shoulder.

The middle aged woman running the front desk finally poked her head over the counter. "Mr. Shylock, Mr. Donnell can see you now," she called. Nate stood, exhaled sharply before he picked up the box and made his way into the office.

Michael Donnell was seated behind a large metal desk. Stacks of folders spilled over the boxes lining the back of it. A miniature dart board hung on the wall over the paper recycle bin. Nate glanced at the board a moment. The holes in it were random and clumsy, indicating Donnell's lack of prowess at the game. Donnell himself was sharply dressed. His cuffs were ironed, his hair perfectly combed, and a faint smell of cologne wafted through the air.

"Mr. Shylock… come in. How can Raleigh Imagine Marketing and Consulting help you today?" Donnell waved Nate over.

"I'd like to sell my invention, but I want to know how many people will buy it first," Nate spoke in a slow, deliberate voice as he set the box down.

"Well, you've come to the right place. We handle all sorts of marketing facets and can help you from gauging the marketability of your product down to putting it on a store shelf. What is this marvelous invention of yours you would like us to test?" Donnell clasped his hands and placed them on the desk top.

Nate opened the box and slowly reached in. He pulled up on a large plastic box with hooks on the back.

Donnell's left brow rose as he stared at the box.

"I introduce Freez-et Tower," Nate smiled as he turned the box and set it on the desk. Donnell could see the box was in fact a stack of boxes with the openings out the side.

"I…" Donnell frowned.

"Do you have a chest freezer, Mr. Donnell… or perhaps a bottom drawer freezer?" Nate began.

"A bottom drawer, yes," Donnell admitted.

"And you know that the sliding half shelf they normally put in there gives you a little help but for the most part, you have to dig forever to find what you want and you lose how much food you can't find," Nate continued.

"Nate, don't oversell it. You'll sound like an infomercial and he won't buy it," Sophie whispered over the com.

"Wouldn't be a problem if Hardison would've found a product that wasn't made by a guy crazy enough to put his name on the product in huge freaking letters," Eliot grumbled.

_ "Great job, Parker," Nate smiled as Parker placed the Freez-et Tower on the coffee table in front of the team. "Hardison is setting up Sophie's meeting with Donnell…"_

_ "Uh, Nate… we might have a problem with that," Eliot groaned. The team all furrowed their brow as they glared at Eliot. He pointed to the side of the tower._

_ Sophie glanced around the side to see what he pointed out. "Oh, that's not good."_

_ Nate followed suit. "Guess I've got a meeting with Donnell," he frowned._

"Hey, man, I don't see you finding something we could use in like 10 minutes!" Hardison hissed.

Nate rolled his eyes up at the argument in his ear. "I designed this organizer to fit into the freezer drawer allowing you to sort the content. The hooks hold it in place and it pulls up on these rollers," Nate pointed out a ball bearing slide roller on the side of the box tower, "allowing you to access the lowest layers of the freezer with the same ease as the top. Useful, wouldn't you say?"

"Better, Nate, much better," Sophie cooed.

Donnell placed a finger against his lip. He tilted his head considering the product. His tilt allowed the rear corner to come into his view. Freez-et Tower was emblazoned on the side in stamping, beneath that were three crudely carved letters- GUS.

"GUS?" Donnell swallowed.

"I put my name on each one so no one could steal it from me," Nate explained.

"Each one?"

"I have made and sold them to friends and neighbors," Nate rolled his tongue as he spun his tale.

The team winced from their location in the van.

"He wasn't ready for that yet… hold him, Nate," Sophie fretted.

"This was a mistake," Flynn whimpered.

"It'll be fine," Sophie assured him.

"It doesn't sound fine."

"Nate knows what he's doing," Eliot added.

"This is why I believe the product is ready for mass distribution. I can't keep up with the requests for it myself," Nate expounded.

"Popular with your circle so you plan to expand it?" Donnell nodded. "Okay, I think we can work with that. First thing we need to do is set up some test groups and gauge how well it will do outside your circle."

"So you bring a bunch of people in and ask if they want it?" Nate furrowed his brow.

Donnell laughed, "We're a little more sophisticated nowadays. We do bring a group, but we also do quite a bit online and via mail. As large as your product is, we would most likely skip mailing a sample out and would stick to a demonstration video sent by email. Our volunteers would then answer a questionnaire about the product, their predicted usage and likelihood to recommend the product."

"Oh, music to my ears…" Hardison howled with glee. "This is in the bag."

"If you feel that is the best approach, I'm good with that," Nate smiled.

"You came here to market your product. Success is vital for both you and us, so we will do the best we can with your product, Mr. Shylock." Donnell stood and extended his hand to Nate.

"Thank you, Mr. Donnell. I'm glad I came to the right place." Nate accepted the outreached palm.

"You certainly did. I will get one of my people on this right away and we will be in touch in the next few days to get the details worked out," Donnell rescinded his hand and gestured toward the door. Nate gave a half nod and retreated to the lobby.

"That part is done… now to convince him he's got an oil field in his lap," Eliot's eyes narrowed.

"Are you kidding? Did you hear him? Email? Really? I could sell that in my sleep, literally," Hardison laughed.

"Why does that sound too easy?" Flynn breathed nervously. Hardison frowned at him.

"Because it's NEVER that easy," Eliot snorted and stepped away.

"You had to jinx it, didn't you?" Hardison shook his head.

"Let's focus on the job," Nate snapped as he exited the building.

Eliot and Hardison both shot each other an irritated look before sighing.

Flynn heaved a heavy sigh.

"Don't worry. They do this all the time, but they'll get the job done," Sophie assured him as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

"I still don't understand how you can be sure Donnell will try to sell the product," Flynn frowned sitting in the living room with the team.

"Donnell is about getting money. We're going to make sure that the results show him the money to be made on this product is too high to resist," Nate pointed out.

"But how can you ensure that? The only way is to have the test groups love and endorse the product. You can't control that, can you?"

"Sure, that's the easiest part."

"Easy? The test groups are selected at random and on short notice. How can you do that?"

"That's what I love about the 21st century, man," Hardison grinned. "The groups are selected at random BY a computer. You control the computer, you control the selection. Easy…"

"But there's still the physical test group as well," Parker reminded.

"That requires a little more direct manipulation. The thing with test groups is they tend to create an almost collective mind. If you can get the leaders, the vocal presence, to make a favorable decision and argue it- you can easily sway the entire group to share their opinion without question," Nate explained.

"Like sheep or cattle, you get a few of them moving and the rest will follow…" Flynn ventured.

"Exactly, you're getting it," Nate smiled.

"So how do you ensure the leaders love the product? Do you pay them? And if so, how would you know which ones are the leaders?"

"No, we don't know who the leader of the group would be, and you can't count on being able to pay them. Even paid, you can't count on their charisma to be enticing enough to sway."

"So how?"

"Because we MAKE our own leaders."

"Seems complicated and risky."

"Manipulation usually is."

* * *

Jesse entered Dillon's room cautiously. Her eyes rolled slowly from one end to the other. The room was spotless. His clothes were hung, his toys stowed and not a dish in sight. His Xbox was shut down and the television turned off. Dillon lay on his stomach across the bed working on math homework.

"Okay, this is new," she breathed.

"I cleaned my room," he said as he set his pencil down to look at her.

"I can see that. What prompted this?" she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Uncle Eliot said I should do it if I wanted to be helpful because I can't help them with Flynn's thing," Dillon explained.

"Well, I'm impressed."

"Mom?" he swallowed. She looked at him intently. "I'm sorry, Mom. I've been a really rotten kid lately. I thought if I was a bad kid that you wouldn't want me to be a role model for the baby so I wouldn't hold him back. But Uncle Eliot told me it was okay to be scared and he said I shouldn't worry- that I was the best kid he knew and I should be a role model. He said I'm stronger than he is and that I should be the best big brother ever."

Jesse bit her upper lip to keep from crying. She held back a laugh, "He's right about that. You are the best kid anyone could ever ask for. I'm just glad the attitude wasn't something bad. You scared me for a while there."

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Come here," she reached out for him. Dillon sat up and hugged her. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom," he sniffled.

She kissed his forehead and released. "Remind me to hug your uncle for this."

"He's gonna hate that," Dillon laughed as he swiped a sleeve across his cheeks.

"I know… that's why it'll be fun," she giggled. She stood to leave.

Dillon twisted his lip. "Mom?"

"Yes, honey?" She paused and tilted her head to listen.

"Are you and Flynn okay? If my behavior did anything…"

"You don't have anything to do with this, honey. It's all between me and him. Don't worry about that. You didn't do anything wrong there."

"He did something to make you mad… but I don't think he's a bad guy. Not like Dad or that Brixton guy or the people on the FBI wanted lists. I liked him, and I hope this all gets better."

"No, he's definitely not bad like them. We have some things to work out, and we will. I don't know how we'll turn out in the end. I really don't."

"He really messed up, didn't he?"

"He didn't… his heart was in the right place, but not his brain. He should have told me what was going on. I know I should be patient and give him a chance. I just don't know how many more chances I have left in me to give anymore" she sighed.

"I know… but I think he's worth one."

"We'll see. I want you to know I'm going to do whatever is best for you and the baby- no matter what that is. Everything is still a little tender, a little too fresh. I know any decision I make right now will be emotional so I'm not going to do anything until I can do it rationally."

"I understand. Thanks, Mom."

"Thank you, honey," she smiled with tears in her eyes.


End file.
